The effect of straw management on energy use efficiency, food security, and environmental costs

Abstract

Straw return is widely acknowledged as an effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy use efficiency, but its effectiveness depends on the specific management approach. We conducted a three-year field experiment to investigate the effects of five straw management strategies on crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), carbon footprint (CF), energy use efficiency, and economic benefits. The strategies included straw removal, straw mulching, straw incorporation, deep-ploughed straw incorporation and deep-injected straw incorporation. The findings show that although straw return increased CF compared to straw removal, this effect can be offset by increased SOC sequestration. Straw return also increase energy consumption and costs during agricultural operations, but higher crop productivity creates higher energy use efficiency and net benefits. Compared to others, deep-injected straw incorporation demonstrated a concurrent increase in CF and SOC sequestration (42.4 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), while also achieving the highest crop yields and farmer income. Straw mulching exhibited the lowest energy consumption and CF but led to a 7.3 % reduction in wheat yield. In conclusion, deep-injected straw incorporation offers a promising approach to achieving the dual goals of enhancing crop productivity and mitigating environmental impacts.